Alumni owned & operated
Who we are
For thirty years, LAFSC was a Semester-long off-campus studies program of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
In the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, the CCCU decided to close the door on all national programs to focus solely on their international programs. That is when Olivet Nazarene University stepped in to act as a fiscal sponsor of the program for 2022 and 2023 under new leadership, Program Director Chris Retts and Associate Director Sarah Duff.
Under this new leadership, LAFSC is now a CA- based 501(c)3 nonprofit that continues to serve CCCU sending schools as well as expanding to other universities.
LAFSC continues to fill a niche in combining location-based, practical education in film and television arts with industry exposure and course content that compels students to consider their own faith, spirituality, and ethics in the development of their crafts.
What we do
LAFSC creates an intimate learning environment for students, in which they are directly introduced to life and work in Los Angeles by working industry professionals. Small class sizes, meaningful relationships with faculty, staff, peers, and program alumni, and relevant internships at the heart of the industry frames a truly unique film school experience.
LAFSC students are able to pursue their passions in a safe and encouraging environment as they explore art, faith, and their voice as filmmakers.
how to partner with us
Recurring Small dollar donations
LAFSC, the non-profit, is owned and operated by our alumni community. Recurring, small dollar donations is one of the most practical and tangible ways that our Alumni can get involved with supporting the program immediately. 100% of all donations go directly to funding classes and experiences for each semester of LAFSC students studying filmmaking in Los Angeles. Any amount, whether that’s a dollar, five dollars, or a hundred dollars, is huge because it is not the dollar amount that makes the difference, it’s the amount of people in our community who are pledging support for the next generation of filmmakers. This demonstrates to sponsors, industry partners, and potential larger donors that we have a groundswell of support from our friends and alumni. We are so thankful to our many alumni who regularly donate to the program, regardless of at which dollar amount they are able to do so.
Industry sponsorships
LAFSC is able to provide a more comprehensive and immersive experience for our students thanks to our professional friends in the industry. We have friends and alumni who works with us every semester to provide internship opportunities for our students, give us discounts on our office space, supply camera equipment and gear for our student short film projects, and more all in an effort to make this program possible and exceptional.
If your organization may have a creative and practical way that we can partner together, please reach out to start the conversation!
larger dollar private donors
We need donations in order to operate and continue to do what we do. While connecting with our alumni, students, and donors digitally, we always work to ensure that our public-facing communication aligns with our mission statement and internal values, and cultivates an opportunity for prospective students and alumni to become involved with the current semester of students on program. We aim to display the heart and relevance of LAFSC to potential donors, industry sponsors, and grants that align with our program culture and faith-based values. If this is you, and you want to play a bigger part in our story as a program, please contact our Program Director, Chris Retts.
Chris Retts, LAFSC Program Director
chris@lafilmstudies.org
grant funding
Grant funds will allow LAFSC to vastly increase our connectivity via new strategic partnerships and initiatives among both private and public non-CCCU colleges and universities, as well as our diverse and active alumni community and affiliate network. If you have a connection to an organization or foundation that is offering grant funding that LAFSC would be good fit for, please connect us! One critical way we are looking for support in is in professional grant advising and grant writing.